Wedding Cakes

1. Gray is the “it” color for wedding apparel this year, with fabrics ranging from silver-gray
to lavender-tinged gray to deep, dark steel gray. Gray looks great with yellow or pink,
and it’s striking with a deep purple.

2. Pink continues its comeback, with shades of it showing up on details within the bride’s
dress, in large splashes on bridesmaids’ gowns and in bouquets.

3. Chocolate brown, so popular last year, remains high on the color wheel of choices for
brides.

If you’re intrigued by the idea of gray, pink or chocolate, but not sure about accent colors, take a
tried-and-true hint from interior designers. Visit the paint department of your favorite home
improvement store and collect strips of paint chips. Take them home, arrange them, and rearrange
them. You’ll soon find your favorites emerging as you ponder the possibilities.

CAKES
4. Influenced by elaborate cake decorating challenges on cable TV shows, we’re seeing
more and more asymmetrical wedding cakes. These askew masterpieces are often quite
colorful, which is another trend we’re seeing plenty of – fewer white-on-white wedding
cakes.

5. For a trendy reception, brides are taking a cue from the recent return of the cupcake fad.
Cupcakes situated on a tower continues to be a popular option, but the new trick is to
order cupcakes in geometric shapes instead of the expected round.

6. If you desire a more traditional wedding cake rather than cupcakes, the geometric-shaped
trend carries over into larger layers, as well. Square-shaped or hexagonal-shaped layers are
popular this year, and stacking the layers can create a unique, eye-catching look.

7. Monochrome cakes still have their place, especially when the bride opts for the ever-
popular black-and-white wedding theme. While black icing in moderation can be quite
striking against a stark white cake, some brides step it up a few notches with intricate
lacey details and splashes of black on their cakes.

FOOD
8. Sample stations have emerged as a popular alternative to a sit-down dinner or buffet.

9. Wine and cheese pairings, champagne bars, coffee, and dessert stations are popping up at
receptions from coast to coast. Other options include potato bars with plenty of toppings,
sushi, seafood, and Tex-Mex stations.

Sample stations can be a very considerate way to pamper your guests who may have special
dietary needs. How about a selection for diabetics, vegetarians, or those with specific food
allergies?

Multi-cultural couples also use food stations as a way to introduce their unique cultures to each
other and to their guests.
LIGHTING
10. On the wall or on the dance floor, projecting your names or initials in light against a
surface can be a striking addition to your reception d?cor.

Choose a traditional-looking monogram with the bride’s initial on the left, the groom’s initial on
the right, and the initial for the groom’s last name in the center. Or, if the bride is keeping her
own name, go with your first names or initials. Another option is to have a graphic designer
create your own custom logo, incorporating something sentimental from your courtship with your
names or initials. Whether you realized you were meant for each other while high at the Eiffel
Tower or on a Ferris wheel, little details like this can be fabulous touches for your ceremony and
reception.

Check with your DJ to see if they have the equipment needed to reflect your initials or logo at
the reception. (Living Jukebox DJ Service can provide this!)
GREEN WEDDINGS
With concern for our earth growing, it’s easy to make subtle changes to make sure your wedding
has less of an impact on the environment.

11. Minimize the amount of driving for your guests by holding the ceremony and reception in
one spot. Sometimes this just isn’t possible. For example, your church won’t allow you to
have a champagne toast or an open bar at your reception. In that case, choose a reception
site that doesn’t require guests to drive to another town.

12. Recycled paper for wedding invitations is another easy way to go green. Or, take that a
step farther and use one of the many beautiful papers with seeds embedded, and ask
recipients to plant them and enjoy the flowers in their yards.

Other ways to go green include wearing a vintage gown, choosing organic or homegrown
flowers, beeswax or soy-based candles, and tossing biodegradable confetti as the couple makes
their getaway.

What will be on display at the top of your wedding cake, attracting attention from the crowd and living on in photos?

While the traditional bride-and-groom figurines are still an option, today?s brides are ditching the plastic columns and fountains that were so popular in the past, and choosing something less cheesy.

WEDDING CAKE JEWELERY

Glitzy wedding cake jewelry is a fairly new trend that looks great on top of layers and icing. Wedding cake jewelry usually stands anywhere from three inches to five inches high and are available as letters with or without Swarovski crystals as accents.

A favorite is to choose the couple?s initial for the top of the cake. Add the bride?s initial on one side and the groom?s on the other, or let the single initial stand on its own.

If initials are included on the side, order them a bit smaller than the letter in the center. If that isn?t possible, be sure to sink the side initials a little deeper into the cake and let the middle letter stand up a bit higher, just to offset them for visual interest.

The letters will be anchored to thin spikes that will plunge into the top layer of the cake. The letters will look fine by themselves on the cake, or with flowers along their base. Just make sure the flowers don?t rest directly on the food.

Jewels are easy to find online, at wedding shops, or at bakeries.

CLEAR ACRYLIC TOPPERS

Crystal-clear acrylic cake toppers can be an elegant alternative.

They are available in several shapes and may be personalized. A heart-shaped acrylic topper could be personalized with your names and the date. Or a square topper could be engraved with hearts and your initials.

Since they?re lightweight, they will sit on top without risk of sinking into the cake.

FLOWERS

Fresh flowers are always an elegant way to top off a wedding cake.

The most important thing to remember, however, is to keep the flowers from touching the cake itself. While some flowers are edible and considered safe to eat, there is always a possibility that a non-toxic flower may have been treated with a toxic chemical before the flower made its way to you or your baker.

Place a thin, clear barrier between the icing and the flowers to make sure the cake isn?t compromised.

Many of the most beautiful wedding flowers are unsafe for human consumption, including calla lilies, hyacinths, lilies of the valley, tulips, hydrangeas, birds of paradise and carnations. If you?d like to place fresh flowers on your cake, do some research first to make sure you?re not putting anyone?s health in jeopardy.

FIGURINES

If you had your heart set on figurines atop your cake, plenty of options are available to you. Buy something brand new, whether traditional or whimsical, or enjoy a leisurely day looking around vintage shops or on eBay in search of something with a retro look.

Fresh flowers can add the perfect touch to a beautiful wedding cake. Whether you choose to have the flowers for your cake taken care of by your bakery, your florist, or you take care of them yourself, there are some important things you?ll need to know.

Some flowers are edible. These can often be found at gourmet grocery stores. If you choose edible flowers to place on your cake, they should be ready to use as soon as you take them out of the container. Be sure to eat flowers only if you are absolutely positive that they are an edible variety and have been grown free of pesticides. Common types of edible flowers include day lilies, dianthus, lilacs, pansies and roses.

Other types of flowers are toxic. Common toxic flowers used for weddings are calla lilies, hyacinths, lilies of the valley, tulips, hydrangeas, birds of paradise and carnations. Ivy can also be toxic. Do your research and ask plenty of questions before placing any type of flower against your cake.

Any type of flower, whether known to be toxic or not, may be safe in theory yet may have been tainted by pesticides used while they were growing. For this reason, it?s important to ask your floral supplier about the origins of any flower that might come in contact with your cake. A small, clear barrier might need to be used to keep the flowers from directly touching the cake.

If you would rather not risk it or it seems like a lot of trouble to determine which flowers might be safe for your cake, you can always choose silk flowers for your cake. These days, many higher quality silk flowers have a remarkably life-like appearance, so if you choose well, no one will notice that the flowers weren’t real. Do keep in mind, however, that it would be difficult to determine whether the silk flowers may have been exposed to anything toxic during the manufacturing process. For this reason, it?s wise to use an inconspicuous barrier between the silk flowers and the cake. An inexpensive, easy-to-find option would be to use a clean soft drink cup lid from a fast food restaurant. When positioned well, the lid will disappear under the flowers.

When it?s time to add flowers to the cake, there are several options to consider. If each layer of the cake is suspended, you’ve probably got room to place blossoms between the layers. A small cluster might be placed on top of the cake, with or without a garland cascading toward the bottom layer. Or small clusters might be placed strategically in various points on the cake.

Discuss the options with your florist and baker plenty of time in advance, and your wedding professionals are likely to have great ideas to help make your cake the center of attention at your reception.